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Re: 2012 NBA rumors thread part II

John Hollinger of ESPN.com writes that the Portland Trail Blazers should move guard Jamal Crawford for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ramon Sessions in a 3-team deal.
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Ramon Sessions and Daniel Gibson to Portland; Jamal Crawford and Greg Oden to Minnesota; Luke Ridnour, Anthony Tolliver and $3 million to Cleveland

There's been a lot of talk about trading Crawford for Ridnour, and that makes a lot of sense, but I like this one a little better. Sessions is a better player with a shorter contract, and his ability to play the pick-and-roll would help a Blazers offense that's had some troubles under Raymond Felton's leadership.

Crawford would be perfect in Minnesota, where he can play mostly off the ball but take turns running the point with the second unit. He can opt out after the season, and probably will, but he'd help the Wolves' playoff run and they'd have a shot at re-signing him if it goes well.
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Re: 2012 NBA rumors thread part II

Talks between the Lakers and Rockets about revisiting a trade for Pau Gasol continued Friday, but multiple people involved in the process told CBSSports.com that a deal had not yet been consummated.

The Rockets, who also are exploring scenarios that would bring Dwight Howard to Houston on the hope that he could be persuaded to stay beyond this season, have been assertive in their pursuit of Gasol. Houston's acquisition of the 7-foot Spaniard was voided in December when commissioner David Stern, acting as the owner of the New Orleans Hornets, canceled the three-team trade that would've sent Chris Paul to the Lakers.

Multiple team executives contacted Friday described a slow, feeling-out process that likely would gain steam next week after GMs are finished scouting conference tournaments. Other developments Friday:

* The Celtics, who according to one rival team had, in fact, been soliciting offers for Rajon Rondo in recent weeks, have disengaged on that front, sources said. One executive compared the Celtics' posture with Rondo to the Pistons' with Rodney Stuckey, whom Detroit no longer is actively shopping.

* Nothing has heated up yet for the Trail Blazers, who have three players attracting interest on the trade market: Jamal Crawford, Raymond Felton and Gerald Wallace. One league source said the Blazers have made it clear they're accepting offers for Wallace.

* The Cavs have been "aggressive" in seeking future assets for veteran Antawn Jamison, who has earned praise throughout the organization for his professional approach to being part of Cleveland's rebuilding plan, league sources said. Jamison has never complained or asked to be traded, but one team that intrigues his camp is the Lakers. The Cavs and Lakers spoke this week, but L.A. did not express serious interest in Jamsion, one of the sources said.

* The market for Stephen Jackson has been understandably tepid. Interest in the Bucks' veteran has not necessarily been chilled by his ongoing feud with Scott Skiles, but rather a belief that Jackson could be a buyout candidate. "Nobody's touching him unless it's a buyout," a rival executive said.

* Though the Pacers, Celtics and Heat are among the teams registering interest in Chris Kaman, the Hornets also have explored moving Emeka Okafor, who is owed $28 million over the next two seasons.

* In addition to Michael Beasley, who is on the radar for the Lakers, Celtics, Magic and Nets, the Timberwolves are gaging interest in Anthony Tolliver and Wayne Ellington, sources said.

* League sources say the Warriors have informed teams that they're only interested in moving Monta Ellis in a trade with Orlando that lands them Dwight Howard. Rival executives are skeptical that Golden State would give up significant assets (such as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Ekpe Udoh) without a long-term commitment from Howard, who has indicated that the Bay Area is not on his list of preferred destinations.

Re: 2012 NBA rumors thread part II

Sources say that the league-owned Hornets remain adamantly against buying Kaman out if they can't trade the 7-footer and that Kaman has been warned not to expect a buyout if no trade is consummated. ESPN.com

The Boston Celtics attempted to trade shooting guard Ray Allen to the Indiana Pacers in exhange for forward Tyler Hansbrough and a first-round draft pick, according to NESN.com.

The deal was killed, according to reports, because Larry Bird — the Pacers’ president of basketball operations — thought the price was too high.

“Here’s the thing,” Bird said. “When Danny (Ainge) and I talked about trading for Ray, he wanted Tyler Hansbrough and a first-round pick. If that’s the value he’s putting on Ray Allen, he ain’t getting it. That tells me he’s in no hurry to trade him.”

Re: 2012 NBA rumors thread part II

Of course Josh Smith wants to be traded from the Atlanta Hawks. There hasn't been a week that has gone by since Atlanta selected him in the 2004 draft that either Smith or his team hasn't considered the possibility of some sort of separation. Atlanta would love to move the guy, in order to find a more orthodox interior threat to pair with and/or replace the injured Al Horford, or a near All-Star point guard to break things down when that Hawks offense gets staid. But it's Josh Smith, so nobody's buying.

That's the way it is with Smith, from fans, the media and other teams. We respect the heck out of him when he's got it all together, but we're not interested. Fans of 29 other NBA teams will read this column; and while you appreciate Smith's gifts, would you want his style of play and maddening up and downs on your team, at his eight-figure price, while having to give something significant back to Atlanta in the exchange?

Probably not. Even expiring deals, as Bill Simmons mused about here, seem to be too much for someone owed over $13 million next season. This has everything to do with Smith's averages, because though they're impressive (17 points, 10 rebounds, 3.5 combined blocks and steals), they're just averages. They're what he ends up after all his per-game stats settle, and not something you can depend on every night.

Smith should have been an All-Star this year. He's that good, and his contributions are worth that level of acclaim. But he remains the ultimate "nah, we're good"-player. Not unlike Philadelphia's brilliant Andre Iguodala, Smith's all-around contributions put a team in place to go over the top, but they don't put a team over the top. Unless it's a very good team. Unlike Iguodala, though, Smith isn't consistent, and he is still relying on raw talent alone to fill up that stat sheet. This isn't a case of selfishness, he's just stuck some eight years in.

This is why he's a luxury of a player. Someone for Dallas to trade for, if it were two years ago. Someone that you don't mind writing off when he chucks a series of corner long-twos and doesn't box out, because he's not as important (despite his All-Star gifts) as the four other go-to guys on your very good team. And unless your team isn't very good, and doesn't mind paying through the teeth for Smith's contract, there's no reason to have him on your team.

In this financial landscape, with even the Los Angeles Lakers potentially cutting their championship hopes off in order to save luxury tax money, who is going to take on Josh Smith? Respect him as an opponent, sure. But on your team? Nah, we're good.

This is also why the Hawks are likely to ignore his trade request. Because they've proven, for the last half-decade or so, that they're happy where they're at. Middle of the pack in the East, not a lot of potential to move up (the matchups, even at full strength, just aren't there), but able to still make that playoff revenue even if a significant part (like Al Horford, this season) goes down with an injury.

With or without Al, the Hawks need Smith. They need him to fill in the empty spaces, and are willing to pay him large amounts of cash and ignore those awful set-shot instincts of his to do it.

They're right to, by the way, because Smith is an expert defender when he's engaged, and he sets up all manner of random possessions for that predictable Hawks offense because of his ability to cause turnovers or grab (if not box out for) rebounds on both ends. On any other team properly utilizing him, he'd have to be a luxury. But because the Hawks are so committed to this brand of basketball because of their financial and personnel choices, Josh Smith is an utter necessity.

Which is why they're more than happy to overlook passages like this from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Michael Cunningham:

The person said one of Smith's complaints is that he believes the Hawks didn't do enough to promote him for selection to the All-Star team, which he thinks contributed to lesser players being voted to the team by Eastern Conference coaches. Smith, an Atlanta native who has played his entire eight-year career with the Hawks, also would like to play for a franchise he believes is more committed to winning a championship.

Smith (or, more specifically, Smith's buddy) is right and wrong when it comes to discussing Atlanta's commitment to a championship. In terms of payroll, and spending LeBron James-level cash on Joe Johnson, they're pretty committed to a championship-level debit sheet. It's focused on the wrong people, including Smith, which is why we can write off the Hawks as not being "committed to winning a championship."

The other part of that passage is the most annoying. Players who aren't voted in by fans as an All-Star starter have to make the team through a coach's vote. And head coaches will sometimes lobby other head coaches to influence their assistants to vote for certain players. Or, teams will send out promotional items to teams, hoping to sway that vote.

The problem is that NBA assistant coaches are filled in equal measures with crusty old school-types, and new school thinkers who have more stat sheets in their hotel room than they do friends on Facebook. And either side ("Bad attitude, doesn't box out"; "shoots 27 percent on long 2-pointers, easily the worst shot in basketball") has a reason to dismiss Smith, even if he probably should have been an All-Star. No amount of campaigning from head coach Larry Drew or Atlanta's front office would have made a difference. Even if, yeah, he probably should have been on that team.

Stuck in another season of the same old thing in Atlanta, a bored Smith (and people close to him) have this to fixate on. Because, with Smith and the Hawks, things will always be the same.

Which is why, following the March 15 trade deadline, they'll probably still be with each other.